The Transfer Tavern

Perfect partner for Kane: Pochettino should land £19.8m-rated striker and play 4-4-2 next season

The Tottenham Hotspur fans in the Transfer Tavern are hoping that Mauricio Pochettino will sign a striker this summer to replace Fernando Llorente.

The resident Lilywhites faithful have been bitterly disappointed by the impact of Llorente this season and, as such, they are desperate to see a new striker arrive at the club this summer. Harry Kane’s presence at the spearhead of the attack has naturally limited the number of opportunities for Llorente this season and Vincent Jansen in the past, but if Pochettino is willing to experiment with his formation then that problem could be resolved.

Formations come and go as the game develops; at one time 4-2-3-1 with two defensive midfielders was the blueprint to a successful team, whereas 5-3-2/3-5-2 and a more conventional 4-3-3 formation are beginning to reign supreme at the top clubs. Amidst the ever-changing fashion of formations and tactical approaches, the classic 4-4-2 formation has become an increasingly less popular choice for managers to deploy.

However, Tottenham have come desperately close to winning trophies during the last three seasons but it’s now been ten years since they last collected a major honour. If Pochettino wants to change that next season he may have to experiment with something different, and using a 4-4-2 formation could be a game-changing decision.

The Argentine manager would absolutely have to invest in a new striker in order to test its effectiveness, and one man he would be foolish not to consider is Mario Balotelli (valued at £19.8 million by Transfermarkt). Balotelli has fallen under the radar in recent years during his time with Nice in Ligue 1, but he has performed exceptionally well away from the spotlight of the British media.

The Italian striker has notched 41 goals from 64 appearances for the club but he is set to depart this summer when his contract expires. Considering how much Balotelli has matured in France, Pochettino should consider signing him this summer as he is a proven goalscorer with plenty to offer the club.

Naturally, signing Balotelli would represent a risk, but Pochettino needs to change something in order to finally get off the mark with a trophy at Tottenham, and partnering Kane with Balotelli could be a stroke of genius just waiting to happen.